96-Year-Old White Plains Veteran Inducted into State Hall of Fame

WHITE PLAINS, NY - Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Monday inducted 96-year-old John “Jack” Harrington of White Plains into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame during a brief ceremony at the White Plains Common Council meeting.

The honor and recognition is bestowed each year on a veteran in each Senate District who has not only valiantly served the United States in the military but also has distinguished themselves in civilian life as well, according to officials.

“Jack Harrington served his country before and during World War II, and continued that service to the community for sixty years in White Plains,” said Stewart-Cousins in a statement. “He helped train servicemen prior to World War II, served at headquarters in London, and was a Marine. Here in White Plains, he also served with distinction, striving to preserve history as President of the Historical Society.

“He also fought to preserve open space as well. The Greenway Trail bears his name and is a lasting legacy,” she added. “It is my honor to place in his name onto the honor roll in the State Senate’s Veterans’ Hall of Fame.”

From a bio of Harrington:

John W. Harrington (Jack) was born on November 18, 1919 in Oswego, New York. He graduated from Oswego High School in 1937, and enrolled in the Oswego Normal School - NY State University to attain an Industrial Arts degree. But with World War II approaching, marine engine companies were looking for skilled men to train navy crews for PT and gun boats. He was assigned to the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships,11th Amphibious Force/Combined Operations in London. He enlisted in U.S. Marine Corps (1946-1949) and became a Staff Sergeant at Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He returned home to resume his education and graduated from Cornell University in 1952.

In 1953 he met and married Margaret (Peg) Salmon in Buffalo, NY. They were married for 59 years until her passing in 2012. They have three children and one grandchild.

Jack Harrington continued his commitment to service as a community activist and preservationist for six decades in White Plains. He and his late wife Peg have been key figures in the development of the city by leading movements to preserve historic buildings and landmarks, and preserve open spaces.

For 22 years he served as President of the White Plains Historical Society. He was also a member of the White Plains Conservation Board, Chairman of the White Plains Comprehensive Plan Committee and a member of the White Plains School District Annual Budget Committee.

Jack Harrington was also instrumental in founding the White Plains Greenway Committee in 1996. The committee oversaw the transformation of a former railway line and dumping ground into one of the most widely-used walking trails, earning him the nickname, the “Father of the Greenway.” In 2012, the city officially named the trail “The Jack Harrington Greenway Walking Trail.”

Photo: Jack Harrington and State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Photo credit: Contributed